School Administrative Unit #9 - The State of Education in School Administrative Unit #9

Page created by Michele Johnston
 
CONTINUE READING
School Administrative Unit #9 - The State of Education in School Administrative Unit #9
School Administrative Unit #9

                                  The State of Education in
                             School Administrative Unit #9
                             Photo by: Ishaan Wenger

                                                       SAU #9 Mission:
                                                       To cultivate the natural
                                                       inclination to learn by providing
                                                       an exceptional environment in
                                                       which students embrace
                                                       excellence in learning for a
                                                       lifetime of success.

   Albany ◆ Bartlett ◆ Conway ◆ Chatham ◆ Eaton ◆ Hart’s Location ◆ Jackson
School Administrative Unit #9 - The State of Education in School Administrative Unit #9
Annual
                                                                             Report Card
  A Year In Review
Superintendent,
Kevin Richard
                                                              Strategic Planning
practices the
new greeting
                                                               Pg. 4 Portrait of a Learner
technique with
a Pine Tree                                                   Data Reports
Elementary
student during
a school visit
                                                               Pg. 5 Attendance & Enrollment Data
                                                               Pg. 6 Finance, Discipline & Eagle Academy
                                                              Student Growth &
                                                              Achievement
                                                               Pg. 7 Academic Reports

   Aug. 30-Sept. 1   Teacher Workshop                         Community Involvement
   Sept. 2           1st Day of School for Students            Pg. 8 Partnerships in the Valley
   Sept. 6           Labor Day
   Oct. 7
   Oct. 7
                     Early Release for Students
                     3hr. Evening Teacher Workshop
                                                              Personnel
   Oct. 8            Teacher Workshop                          Pg. 9 Professional Development &
   Oct. 11           Indigenous People's Day                                  Staff Retirements
   Nov. 11           Veterans' Day
   Nov. 24-26
   Dec. 24-Jan. 2
                     Thanksgiving Recess
                     Holiday Break
                                                              Technology
   Jan. 17           Martin Luther King Jr. Day                Pg. 10 Upgrades and Advancements
   Feb. 21-25        February Vacation
   Mar. 24           Early Release for Students
   Mar. 24           3hr. Evening Teacher Workshop            Facilities
   Mar. 25           Teacher Workshop                          Pg. 12 Modifications and Improvements
   Apr. 25-29        Spring Vacation
   May 27
   May 30
                     Early Release for Students
                     Memorial Day
                                                              School Reviews
   June 16 *         Last Day of School for Students/          Pg. 14 A Look Inside the 2020-2021
                     Early Release *subject to change                          School Year
   June 17           Teacher Workshop Day

                  Page 2 | “Realizing the full potential of each and every student” | www.sau9.org
A Year In Review
Superintendent Summary
   Thank you for reading the SAU#9 annual report. This report will be distributed as we pass the one year
   mark of the pandemic. This document provides data points including assessment results, post-graduation
   surveys, demographic information as well as social-economic information. This is historical information that
   was reflective of some measures of success for schools.

   What can’t be measured with statistics is how successful this 2020-2021 school year has been in terms of
   meeting the needs of our students. Approximately 80% of all students returned to face to face instruction
   in our schools in September. After hearing from the community in over 30 listening sessions this summer,
   school leaders collaborated to develop distance learning options. It has not been easy, but through the dedi-
   cation and commitment of all staff members, students and parents, we have been able to navigate through
   quarantine, positive cases and vaccines. Schools have always been an integral part of any community, and
   this year pulled our community together to ensure our students were back in school safely. We will not
   soon forget the way the community celebrated the graduating class of 2020 atop Mt. Cranmore last June.

   As you read through this report you will be impressed by the accomplishments of our students and staff.
   Increased programming, expansion of Running Start and AP offerings were balanced with the need to
   address social emotional learning among our students. Creativity and resourcefulness are just a couple of
   words that describe the problem solving that was necessary to deliver education. There are a number of
   positive changes that have been implemented that will stay with education long after the pandemic.
   Utilization of technology as a resource for student learning has never been more important. We are
   fortunate that the upgrades to technology has been an area of focus in the Strategic Plan for the past five
   years.

   There has always been an appreciation for the outdoors, but the current conditions allowed for educators
   to take advantage of our natural resources. Outdoor classrooms were put in to place along with pitched
   tents in the fields to support learning environments. We live in such a beautiful part of the world, it only
   makes sense to utilize our rivers, mountains and forests. Incorporating our surroundings into the academic
   setting has been a key component of instruction.

   While managing the pandemic has required great time and energy, SAU#9 has continued to transform
   instruction, assessment and environmental practices to best serve the students in this generation. The
   newly adopted Strategic Plan (2020-2025) captures the “Portrait of a Learner” that identifies the needs of
   our students to be successful.

   Please take time to review our annual report. We hope you will learn more about our schools, ask
   questions, and continue to collaborate with us as we work to realize the full potential of each and every
   student. This is a special community that demonstrates how important education is and we thank you for
   that continued support.

                                                                          Sincerely,

                                                                         Kevin Richard
                                                                         Superintendent of Schools
            Page 3 | “Realizing the full potential of each and every student” | www.sau9.org
Strategic Plan
Roadmap for the District
 The Conway School District approved the 2020-2025      our community, we were able to produce a tangible
 Strategic Plan which will serve as a roadmap for our   set of competencies we want our learners to possess
 work. The five focus areas of the plan include         as they navigate through our educational system.
 Personnel, Student Growth & Achievement,
 Technology, Community Involvement and Facilities.      The Portrait of a Learner was adopted by the full
 Clear action steps and performance indicators were     SAU#9 Board as well as each individual school board
 identified for each of the goals for the respective    across the SAU in the spring of 2020.
 focus areas. We encourage parents, staff and the
 community to view the full plan on our website         We are now well on our way to identify how the
 www.sau9.org.                                          Portrait will affect our educational practices so that
                                                        we can ensure our students continue to achieve
 One of the key elements to emerge from the             these competencies.
 2020-2025 strategic planning process was the
 development of the SAU#9 Portrait of a Learner.
 By pulling feedback from diverse stakeholders across

 SAU#9 Portrait
 of a Learner
Realizing the full potential
of each and every student
requires the development
of mindsets, character,
communication skills and
processes needed to
effectively apply
knowledge and skills.
Doing so will enable our
 learners to become
productive, global citizens
who can successfully
choose their own paths and
navigate the challenges of life.

               Page 4 | “Realizing the full potential of each and every student” | www.sau9.org
Data Reports
Attendance & Enrollment
SAU #9 is composed of seven school districts: Albany, Bartlett, Chatham, Conway, Eaton, Hart’s Location,
and Jackson. The students attend SAU #9 schools except for Chatham students, who attend school in
Maine’s SAD #72. Source: www.education.nh.gov/ Who We Are> Bureau of Education Statistics> Data Reports> Attendance & Enrollment Reports

            SAU #9 Schools Enrollment for 2020-21 School Year Data Collection as of October 1, 2020 Fall Report
Districts                                    School Enrollment (Attendance Areas and Grades)                                      2018-19      2019-20       2020-21

Conway             Conway Elementary School (Conway, Albany) (K-6)                                                                 214           223           209
                   John Fuller Elementary School (Conway) (K-6)                                                                    194           180           176
                   Pine Tree Elementary School (Conway, Eaton) (K-6)                                                               267           263           236
                   A. Crosby Kennett Middle School (Conway, Albany, Eaton, Madison, Freedom) (7-8)                                 296           281           241
Bartlett           Josiah Bartlett Elementary School (Bartlett, Jackson, Hart’s Location) (PreK-8)                                 198           209           176
Jackson            Jackson Grammar School (Jackson) (K-6)                                                                           49               43         50
                                                                                      Total SAU #9 PreK-8 Enrollment               1218          1199          1088
Conway             Kennett High School (9-12)                                                                                      744           713           736
                                                                                      TOTAL SAU #9 ENROLLMENT                      1962          1912         1824

                                                                                        Percentage of Students Distance Learning
   2019-2020 Attendance Rate By District
                                                                                                       School                            Fall 2020        Spring 2021
   District        Pre-K       Kind.       Elem       Middle     High     Total
                                                                                        Jackson Grammar School                             18%               21%
 Conway               —        93.5%       95.4%       92.6%     92.8%    93.7%         Josiah Bartlett Elementary School                  19%               18%
                                                      In Elem.                          Conway Elementary School                           32%               20%
 Bartlett           89.2%      89.4%       94.7%                  —       93.3%
                                                       Figure                           John Fuller Elementary School                      26%               20%
 Jackson              —        88.3%       95.4%        —         —       94.7%         Pine Tree Elementary School                        17%               11%
                                                                                        A. Crosby Kennett Middle School                    20%               15%
 State Total        94.0%      95.4%       96.1%       94.9%     94.0%    95.1%
                                                                                        Kennett High School                                14%               15%

                                                                                                                        Source: SAU #9 Dir. of Special Services.
      Percent of Special Education Students by Schools 2020-21                                                          Data Collection as of October 1, 2020
                                        Districts     Conway     Albany      Eaton        Bartlett       Jackson          Hart’s            Chatham         SAU#13
Schools                                                                                                                  Location

Conway Elementary                                      10%         5.3%           -            -              -               -                  -              -
John Fuller Elementary                                 16.5%          -       0.6%             -              -               -                  -              -
Pine Tree Elementary                                   14.4%          -       0.8%             -              -               -                  -              -
Kennett Middle School                                  14.9%       0.8%           -            -              -               -                  -             2%
Josiah Bartlett *Includes Early Childhood Education      -            -           -          21%           1.7%             0.6%                 -              -
Jackson Grammar School                                   -            -           -            -           18%                -                  -              -
Kennett High School                                    6.9%        0.7%           -          1.4%          0.7%               -                  -            3.4%

                        Page 5 | “Realizing the full potential of each and every student” | www.sau9.org
Data Reports
Free & Reduced Lunch                                                                   Cost Per Pupil
Eligibility for free lunch is based on federal income                                   The costs per pupil represent current
guidelines. Source: www.education.nh.gov/ Who We Are> Bureau of                         expenditures, less tuition and transportation
Education Statistics> Data Reports> Free & Reduced Lunch Eligibility                    costs. Source: www.education.nh.gov/ Who We Are> Bureau of
                                                                                        Education Statistics> Data Reports> Financial Reports
   Percent of Free and Reduced Lunch Students
                                                                                                       Cost per Pupil by District
           Years                    2018-19            2019-20            2020-21
                                                                                                    Years                  2017-18          2018-19        2019-20
 Conway Elementary                   59.12%             56.91%            43.78%
                                                                                         Conway K-6                         $17,769             $19,214    $21,113
 John Fuller Elementary              37.28%             24.38%            29.14%
                                                                                         Jackson K-6                        $27,357             $25,219    $30,283
 Pine Tree Elementary                38.79%             35.75%            27.96%
                                                                                         Bartlett PreK-8                    $24,476             $24,264    $23,556
 Josiah Bartlett                     27.81%             28.57%            26.35%
                                                                                         State Ave. (Elementary)            $15,981             $16,520    $17,188
 Jackson Grammar                     23.08%             15.00%             6.82%         Kennett Middle School              $18,430             $17,617    $19,535
 Kennett Middle                      40.88%             37.37%            39.42%         State Ave. (Middle School)         $15,021             $15,490    $15,938
 State Ave. (Gr. 1-8)                29.71%             27.40%            24.09%         Kennett High School                $16,777             $17,208    $18,463
 Kennett Grades 9-12                 28.15%             24.12%            18.48%         State Ave. (High School)           $16,215             $16,600    $16,776

 State Ave. 9-12                     22.37%             19.76%            16.89%
                                                                                        Eagle Academy & HiSET
Student Discipline                                                                  The HiSET exam demonstrates that a test taker has attained
                                                                                    the academic knowledge and proficiency equivalent to those
                                                                                    of a high school graduate. HiSET is offered through a partnership
This chart reflects external suspensions for such                                   between Eagle Academy and Carroll County Academy. Mandatory
things as physical force, fighting, possession of                                   pre-testing and any necessary prep courses are delivered by Carroll
                                                                                    County Academy and when ready, the examination is delivered at
weapons, or insubordination. Source: SAU #9 School Principals                       Kennett High School by the HiSET Chief Examiner. Test takers are
 Number of Instances of External Suspensions                                        tested in five core areas: Language Arts – Reading, Language Arts –
                                                                                    Writing, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies.
            Schools                    2017-18           2018-19        2019-20*    NOTE: COVID-19 has continued to impact overall testing quantity
                                                                                    this year. Testing resumed in September, but fewer test seats were
 Conway Elementary                         10                10            0        available due to COVID safety procedures. The data below is
                                                                                    disproportionately low compared to “normal” test years as a result.
 John Fuller Elementary                     0                 3            16       Additionally, January was closed to testing due to required training on
                                                                                    the updated HiSET testing procedures.
 Pine Tree Elementary                      11                 6            6
 Bartlett (PreK-8)                          0                 2            0        HiSET Data - 2020-2021SY
 Jackson Grammar                            0                 0            0
                                                                                                                                                     People who
                                                                                    Date             Number of
 Kennett Middle                            24                14            3                                                   Tests Taken           Passed ALL
                                                                                    Range            People Testing
                                                                                                                                                     Tests
 Kennett High School                       64                49            25
                                                                                    Sept. to Feb.              5                       14                     1
   Kennett High School External Suspension
                                                                                    Mar. to Apr.         5 scheduled               9 scheduled             N/A
                   Years                        2017-18 2018-19 2019-20*
 Number of student days missed for                                                                  Eagle Academy Graduates
                                                  219             161      80
 External Suspensions
                                                                                         Years             2018-19        2019-20                   2020-21
*All schools were remote during the 2019-2020 school year starting March 17th,
2020 though the end of the school year in June.
                                                                                    Total Graduates           19              17                  21 *estimated

                        Page 6 | “Realizing the full potential of each and every student” | www.sau9.org
Student Growth
           Achievement
Kennett High School Academic Data
                                                &                                                    Note: No state-wide assessments were given in
                                                                                                     2019-2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic
           Advanced Placement Test Results                                                         Exam Score Breakout 2020
   Year                                2017       2018       2019       2020           SCORE                       1    2      3       4           5     Total

   Number of Graduates                  147        171        179          152         Number of Exams           25    41      56     46         24      192
   Kennett AP Exams                     174        179        160          192         % of Total Exams        13%     21%    29%     24%     13%        100%
   % of AP students w/ scores of 3+    78.4%       75%        75%        66%           Number of AP Students     25    36      49     39         18

                       Kennett High School Data                                                                  Student Annual
  Year                                                      2017 2018 2019 2020                                Dropout Percentage
  Extended Learning Opportunities taken for school credit     2       14         20      29               Year              2017-18    2018-19         2019-20
  Industry Certificates Earned                               250     278         299    327      Kennett Grades 9-12         0.27%         0.80%        0.14%
  Running Start Courses offered                              68       45         57      91      State Ave. 9-12             1.05%         1.02%        0.92%

Postgraduate                                        Postgraduate Placement for SAU #9 Students 2019-2020

Placement                                                   High School Completers—Postgraduate Placement
                                                                                                                                           KHS           State

Source: www.education.nh.gov/ Who We Are>          Entering a 4 year College or University                                                 50.9%         51.8%
Bureau of Education Statistics> Data Reports>
Dropouts and Completers                            Entering a school that is less than 4 years                                              5.4%         16.4%
                                                   Returning to Secondary School for Postgraduate Study                                     0%           0.2%
                                                   Employment                                                                              40.7%         18.3%
                                                   Armed Forces                                                                             3%           2.7%
                                                   Unemployed                                                                               0%            1%
                                                   Unaccounted for                                                                          0%           9.7%

 Post Secondary Education for the Class of 2020
   Bentley University                                  Keene State College                                     University of Connecticut
   Berklee College of Music, Boston Campus             Lakes Region Community College                          University of Fairfield
   Brandeis University                                 Merrimack College                                       University of New England
   Bridgewater State                                   Middlebury College                                      University of New Hampshire
   Brown University                                    Mount Holyoke College                                   University of New Hampshire—
   Bryant University                                   NHTI                                                           Manchester Campus
   Castleton University                                Northern Vermont University                             University of North Carolina Wilmington
   Champlain College                                   Oregon State University                                 University of Pittsburgh
   Crown College                                       Plymouth State University                               University of Vermont
   Dean College                                        Rutgers University - New Brunswick                      Wentworth
   Endicott College                                    Southern Maine Community College                        Westminster College
   Granite State College                               Southern New Hampshire University                       White Mountains Community College
   Husson University                                   St. Lawrence University                                 Worcester Polytechnic Institute
   Institute of Art at New England College             Stanford University
   James Madison University                            Stonehill College

                       Page 7 | “Realizing the full potential of each and every student” | www.sau9.org
Community Involvement
Extended Learning Opportunities
Students in the Mount Washington Valley are resilient and resourceful, and nowhere is that more evident than in the
ELOs they have come up with. This year in particular, has highlighted some of our most creative projects. Senior, Eric
Schandor wrote, mixed and performed four original songs with guidance from Chad of Mountain Top Music Center.
Savannah Brown has been working with Doula, Renee Bernier-Innes, from Sacred Circle Wellness. As part of her ELO,
Savannah has created a blog with a plethora of information about women’s health issues. Jack Vaughan is apprenticing
at Profile Power Sports and the experience has been so successful, it has caught the attention of the NH Automobile
Dealers Association. In fact, NHADA did a promotional film about it, hoping other employers would take Profile’s lead
in offering enriching opportunities for students. Programming student, Krishna Garg is creating a database for The
Way Station so that they can better serve our community. Grace Ruddy created and taught a unit on REVIT software
for her CADD ELO. These are just a few of the many ELOs students are pursuing. The students’ perseverance and the
community’s generosity gives us all a lot to be hopeful about. Below is a listing of the ELO community partnerships for
the 2020-2021 school year:
•       Sacred Circle Wellness           •   Kiwanis Club                         •   Mountain Center Physical Therapy
•       Brookside Farm                   •   Cheese Louise                        •   Mount Washington Observatory
•       Profile Motor Sports             •   AutoZone                                 Weather Discover Center
•       Constantino Real Estate          •   Effingham Police Department          •   Tin Mountain Conservation
•       The Thompson House Eatery        •   MWV Nordic                               Center
•       Rotten Rock Landscape and        •   New Hampshire Academy of             •   Vaughn Childcare Center
        Construction                         Science                              •   Mountain Top Music Center
•       The Way Station                  •   JSD Architectural Carpentry          •   Jeanne Limmer Dance Studio
•       Madison Fire Department          •   The Echo Group
•       Frechette Tire                   •   Conway Area Humane Society

Project SUCCEED Partnerships
 Project SUCCEED (Schools Under Contract Creating Extended Enriching Days) is the Conway School District's
 before and after school program. It's currently in its twenty first year of operation and serves the three elementary
 schools, plus charter and homeschool students. Its primary goal is to provide safe and stimulating activities during the
 high-risk after school hours with special attention to our most at-risk elementary youth. Partnerships with community
 members have flourished this year to add new and extended enrichment opportunities. Collaborations have doubled
 to include, but are not limited to:

    •   Conway Public Library
    •   UNH Cooperative Extension
    •   Kennett High School Spanish Honor Society
    •   Tin Mountain Conservation Center
    •   School’s Out
    •   White Mountain Science, Inc.
    •   Jackson Ski Touring Center
    •   North Conway Community Center
    •   MWV School to Career
    •   Children Unlimited, Inc.
    •   Circus Smirkus
    •   Jamie Butterworth Art

                  Page 8 | “Realizing the full potential of each and every student” | www.sau9.org
Personnel
 Staff Development
 SAU#9 is committed to providing exceptional professional       development of performance assessments and rubrics.
 learning opportunities for its staff. The challenges of        Educators are collaborating with New Hampshire
 providing education during a pandemic has affected how         Learning Initiative to strengthen instructional practices in
 professional learning looks, but the focus has remained        remote environments. We also had a diverse group of
 consistent: supporting educators in the development and        educators come together to explore the possibilities of
 implementation of high quality instruction, assessment, and    project-based learning.
 learning environments for students.
                                                                Professional development goes beyond attending
 Built into the school calendar are days dedicated to           workshops and conferences. This year we have been
 professional learning. In August educators worked to           fortunate to be able to support a math coach at our
 shape curriculum and instructional units so that they could    elementary schools in Conway. Coaching involves meeting
 be implemented regardless of whether we were                   with teachers to collaboratively analyze student work, plan
 in a face to face or distance learning environment.            lessons, model instruction and reflect on practice.
 Elementary educators identified big ideas for grade spans,     Educators are using this support to explore new ways
 as many were teaching in a multi-age structure for the first   of teaching mathematics that meet the individual needs of
 time. Staff engaged in additional learning to ensure they      students. We are hopeful to be able to expand access
 were knowledgeable about how to keep students and              to coaching across more schools and into additional
 themselves safe given the challenges of COVID-19. The          disciplines.
 remote instruction days have provided time for
 Kennett Middle School teachers to engage with experts
 from the Center for Assessment to review performance
 assessments, student work, and identify instructional            Educational Attainment for Teachers
 implications.
                                                                  District      % Bachelor’s   % Master’s    % Degree Beyond
 Educators are also taking advantage of virtual professional
 learning opportunities scheduled outside of school hours.        Conway           47.2%          47.5%             2.7%
 There have been after-school sessions to support the             Bartlett         41.7%          49.1%             9.3%
                                                                  Jackson          22.2%          77.8%              0%

Thank you to our 2020-2021 retiring staff for their years of dedicated service
           Name                              School                           Position                Years of Service
          Joy Gould                  Kennett Middle School          Special Education Teacher         28 years *24 teaching
         James Kelly                Conway School District                   Maintenance                     12 years
        Patricia Poulin            Conway Elementary School            Kindergarten Teacher                  20 years
      Pamela Robinson               Conway School District               School Psychologist                 27 years
       Theresa Stanton              Conway School District            Occupational Therapist                 30 years
        Donna Towle                Conway Elementary School         Special Education Teacher               18.5 years
        Laurie Turley              Conway Elementary School                  Music Teacher                   25 years
       Gail Yalenezian                       SAU#9                    Pre-School Coordinator                 17 years

                 Page 9 | “Realizing the full potential of each and every student” | www.sau9.org
Technology
Josiah Bartlett Elementary School Wiring Upgrade Project—
                 A Total Transformation
Through a combination of CARES Act and other grants, Bartlett received enough funding to completely overhaul the
Bartlett network and acquire new Chromebooks. Conway School District technology specialists replaced CAT5 with
CAT6a making Bartlett the first school in SAU#9 to use this technology while adding ethernet drops and commercial
grade access points in each classroom. Thank you to all who helped with this upgrade project!

              Page 10 | “Realizing the full potential of each and every student” | www.sau9.org
Technology
    Technology Updates—Conway School District
    Under the restrictions of COVID-19, the IT staff has continued to work tirelessly this year to provide technical support
    and implement system process improvements to facilitate the hybrid classroom environment for students, faculty, and
    staff. Some of the projects include:
     • New Firewall/Filter devices at KHS and the district      • Purchased a long-range Aruba wireless bridge and
          office to enhance network security to guard against       external access point to provide broadband WiFi to
          external threats and provide secure remote-access         KHS’s front athletic fields to support live-streaming of
                                                                    athletic events
     • Doubled the internet bandwidth at ALL schools,
          including increasing to 1Gbps at both KMS and KHS,    • Installed MoCa pair to extend the schools computer
          to help support hybrid classrooms                         network into the football stadium press box to
                                                                    support live streaming of events and to provide data
     • Replaced 712 obsolete Chromebook Computers                   and phone service to the near-by maintenance building
          district-wide to meet state online assessment             via wireless-bridge
          functional requirements
                                                                • Migrated the high school's website hosting to Intrado
     • Installed an interactive presentation panel in the           to be consistent with the rest of the district schools
          Professional Development Center for technology-
          enhanced instruction and remote meetings

Jackson School District                                               Bartlett School District
Jackson Grammar School adapted to the COVID-19                    The COVID-19 pandemic has made reliable technology
pandemic in many ways to make both remote and face-to-            necessary for schools, staff, and students. Bartlett has
face learning interactive and engaging. Two of the four           undergone a large technological overhaul. “It takes a
classes now have a wireless projector allowing the teacher        village” is the motto for this academic year. Many people
the ability to project their lesson from any device while         across the SAU have lent a hand to make the technology
using other devices simultaneously. The united arts               at Bartlett successful. (See page 11 for details.)
teachers taught remotely this year with real-time lessons
                                                                  _
                                                                  _

via Google Meet and a web camera. The webcam allowed              The teachers at Bartlett school have adapted well to
the UA teacher to interact with the students as a whole           tandem remote learning. Preschool through first grade
instead of on their student device. The remote students           teachers and staff have created an interactive classroom
were also in the “classroom” with their peers through this        for their students through Seesaw and Google Meet
method. Each week Jackson Grammar held their all school           applications. The second grade has been able to connect
meeting via Google Meeting to connect with all of the             with the remote students in the classroom using a web
students school-wide.                                             camera so both face-to-face and remote students are able
_
                                                                  to interact. The third grade teacher set-up a donors
Another upgrade is the increase of access points                  choose project and received many generous donations
throughout the school and the Whitney Community                   from Bartlett families and Grant’s Shop and Save. Fourth
Center. The school uses the pavilion daily as an outdoor          through eight grade teachers teach synchronous lessons
classroom and students are able to successfully connect           with their remote and face-to-face students using creative
wirelessly because of the increased access points.                and interactive ways so remote learners are brought into
Additionally, Jackson has moved their students from a             the classroom virtually.
Window’s based laptop to Chromebooks. Thanks to the               _

CARES Act and REAP grants, 31 new touch screen                     The help from many to receive and install the new
Chromebooks were purchased. The Chromebooks                       upgrades and equipment as well as the ability to adapt to
allow for easier management and streamlined Google                the COVID-19 restrictions are examples of how a
classrooms for the teachers and students.                         community came together for a successful school year.
                   Page 11 | “Realizing the full potential of each and every student” | www.sau9.org
Facilities
Despite the ongoing pandemic, and in some cases, as a result
                                                                            Update Snapshots

of the pandemic, building maintenance has flourished over
the past year. Highlights include:

Bartlett: Replaced thousands of square feet of flooring and installed
new vinyl tile. The staff also went through over 100 gallons of paint
painting the inside of the building while students were out.

Jackson: Replaced a significant amount of floor tile with lower
maintenance material.

Conway: John Fuller was on the list to receive the Rotating Fund this
year, and so far they’ve installed fencing around the entire perimeter
of the school. Replaced the 30+ year old stage curtains, and installed
new blinds on all of the windows in the gym to reduce glare and allow for “darkened” events and
presentations.

On the John Fuller site, the District has entered into an agreement with the Town of Conway to use the
three bay garage that had fallen into significant disrepair due to lack of use. The Town has painted the
building, installed new overhead doors, new electrical services, as well as insulated and heated the building
for equipment storage needed for the North Conway area.

              Page 12 | “Realizing the full potential of each and every student” | www.sau9.org
Facilities                                                                Update Snapshots
                                                                          Continued…

At the Middle School we replaced the 40+ year old gym divider with a new state of the art unit. Also on site,
our maintenance staff constructed a new pump house for the irrigation pumping system and is also used as
winter storage of the
irrigation guns.

With the pandemic, the maintenance staff spent countless hours manufacturing dozens of sneeze guards
for the various buildings, installing hand sanitizer stations, and were instrumental in the acquisition and
distribution of sanitizing and disinfecting materials throughout the district.

              Page 13 | “Realizing the full potential of each and every student” | www.sau9.org
School Reviews
Conway Elementary School                                              avenues. Students are more readily able to switch learning
                                                                      venues and styles with the new opportunities and they are
           Resiliency, Flexibility, and Tradition                     thinking more out of the box to problem solve, showing
                                                                      more grit in working on new technology skills.
"Today, resilience has a much broader meaning. For researchers
and professionals working with kids, it’s not just about ‘bouncing    Our CLiF Committee members Meg Murphy, Patty Poulin,
back.’ It’s about ‘bouncing forward.’ Resilience doesn’t just mean    Elizia Braunstein, Maika Phillips, Michelle Dupuis, Kim
getting back to normal after facing a difficult situation. It means   Mathison and Stevi Laird have successfully planned our Read
learning from the process in order to become stronger and better      Across the World month-long event in March to include
at tackling the next challenge.” Donna Volpitta, a mental health      events to kick off the month, theme days, the incorporation
educator.                                                             of Drop Everything and Read, book giveaways, and author
                                                                      visits. They have worked tirelessly planning and preparing for
Each day as professionals we learn, evolve and model this             each book distribution, lining up author presentations, and
definition of resilience for our students and colleagues to           scheduling events around Year of the Book.
see. We continue to 'bounce forward' to better our craft
and better the experience we offer our students. As a result,         The definition of normalcy: the state of being usual, typical,
our students also continue to bounce in a positive direction.         or expected. This year has been anything but normal. Right
Every time you challenge them they come out strong and                out of the gate staff at Conway Elementary was determined
more prepared for what happens next. We continue to                   to make this year as normal as possible. Our annual events
push the limits and pave the way for those meaningful                 like our Halloween Parade, Food Drive, and Cougar
experiences.                                                          Strength Awards Assemblies, were all held, but virtually and
                                                                      with a different spin to keep everyone safe. We were also
There are positives that have come out of this pandemic               able to carry on the tradition of our Holiday Store where
within our school community. There are deeper peer                    students can come and choose presents for family members
relationships in the small cohorts, lower student ratio has           and friends and staff wrap the gifts for them….all done with
allowed teachers to get to know their students on all levels,         adherence to the COVID guidelines. Learning outdoors was
academic, emotional, and increased student support. Our               embraced by everyone! As we enter the spring our staff is
SEL skills are more honed due to increased time with peers            continuing to plan outdoor learning opportunities and are
and the prioritization                                                fully invested in making our normal events happen to create
of student and staff                                                  the CES experience for our students. #CougarPride
well-being. There is
increased technology
familiarity, and the
ability to collaborate
using different media

                   Page 14 | “Realizing the full potential of each and every student” | www.sau9.org
School Reviews
Jackson Grammar School                                             Students learned and improved their skills on Nordic skis in
                                                                   an extended unit in Mrs. Porter’s Physical Education class.
                                                                   Thank you, Jackson Ski Touring staff and community
What’s best for students’ academic, social, and                    volunteers, for the socially-distanced assistance!
emotional learning?
Translated to “What’s best for students?” this question is a
constant consideration among JGS staff. Their answers
inevitably include teaching the skills of Social Emotional
Learning and giving students the opportunity to practice the
skills in a classroom setting. JGS staff have been working with
Brian Hastings and Cassie Yackley on this year’s staff
professional development goal to expand their understanding
of SEL principles and implement them across the curriculum
and school activities.

JGS staff is committed to students spending as much time
outside as possible, teaching through many hands-on projects
and keeping traditions and routines in place while modeling
flexibility and adaptability. In that vein, a key word this year   The Nordic unit in PE culminated in another JGS tradition:
has been “pivot.” Students and staff have been ready for           the annual Ski-a-thon. Three sessions, five cohorts, three
outdoor or indoor lunch depending on the temperature:              courses, and four snack stops gave JGS skiers enough space
gearing up, switching kitchens, limiting indoor mask-off           to log over 400 KM! Pledge money will go to the JGS PTO
chatter. We switched to a week of remote learning                  and to JSTF to support children’s ski programs.
seamlessly, tech-ready and logged-on, and students and staff
maneuvered two days at school without electricity:
screen-free and pencils in hand. The students have
demonstrated time and again that they are capable of and
willing to learn in a variety of settings.

                                                                   While the older grades got in a few Friday afternoons skiing
                                                                   with ESSC volunteers at Black Mountain Ski Area,
                                                                   Kindergartners ruled the school - and playground! Thank you
                                                                   to all ESSC volunteers for helping us get out on the snow
                                                                   this year and for the crew at Black Mountain Ski Area.

                                                                   In late winter, grades 3-6th are studying the math, history,
                                                                   and science of maple sugaring. Grade 2 is wrapping up
                                                                   projects on Asia, and K-1 just celebrated the 100th day of
                                                                   school. We’re still here, ready to pivot in response to whatever
ABOVE JGS kids ate outside more often than inside in               comes next, anticipating lunch without snowsuits, looking
January and February.                                              forward to spring traditions knowing they’ll be a little different,
                                                                   and enjoying sweet maple syrup snacks with our cohorts.
                  Page 15 | “Realizing the full potential of each and every student” | www.sau9.org
School Reviews
Josiah Bartlett Elementary School
Learning during the Pandemic
A year ago the pandemic brought massive challenges to our lives,
and to how JBES operates. The teachers and other staff of Bartlett
have been heroic in rising to the challenges. They learned to ‘teach
remote’ last Spring and then began teaching both face-to-face and
distance learners of Bartlett this year. Students learned new ways
to access instruction through technology and new ways to interact
safely. Through these challenges, JBES educators maintained their
commitment to provide learning that supports each child’s
individual development. There is more focus now on
social-emotional learning than in the past and there are
adjustments to how we use technology, but we have not lost our
focus on the competencies and teaching students the habits that
will help them be successful in life. As we move through the
pandemic and come to our new normal, JBES will continue to
provide positive and enduring learning that helps each child reach
their potential.

Winter Fun Days!
JBES was not able to ski this year because of COVID, but we
managed to still enjoy outdoor time. On Thursdays from January
to Mid-March, students participated in Winter Fun Days. Activities
included cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, snow
sculptures, snowman building and outdoor science crafts. Everyone
had a great time getting some fresh air and having fun!

3rd Grade Maple Syrup
JBES 3rd graders have been
busy this spring going through
the maple sugaring process.
The students had to identify
sugar maple trees, tap the
trees, collect the sap and will
learn about the boiling
process with a backyard boil.
We tapped 20 trees and our
first collection produced
about 25 gallons of sap.

                  Page 16 | “Realizing the full potential of each and every student” | www.sau9.org
School Reviews
Pine Tree Elementary School                                     have proven that they can rise above any challenge, and their
                                                                determination is palpable. Whether it be small cohorts of
This year has been one of balance, flexibility, and innovation. students, outdoor learning, remote instruction, mask
One thing that has been affirmed is that even in the most       wearing, or eating lunch in classrooms, they have taken
challenging of circumstances, a strong school community         everything in stride. We also commend their families for
provides the foundation for growth, continuous improvement, being flexible when adjusting from one learning model to
and support necessary to meet the needs of the members          another, sometimes at the drop of a hat, with positivity,
within it. The way in which our families, community             support, and appreciation for our schools. Likewise, our
members, students and staff have rallied around one another educators have had to respond to so many shifting scenarios,
has been tremendous and has pulled us through some of the and have exhibited unprecedented flexibility and responsiveness.
most difficult times over the past year. We have been
reminded that schools are sacred places where students,         This past school year has taught us many valuable lessons,
staff, and families can find solace, even when the chaos that one of which is the importance of innovation. We have had
surrounds us feels unbearable. As a result of all that we have to challenge ourselves to think of new ways of teaching,
learned, we have come out on the other side stronger and        which has led to immense growth in students and educators
even more determined to do whatever it takes to be the          alike. Teachers have found innovative ways to foster
best we can be for the students in our community. Although collaboration among their students while also staying socially
we were forced to create very unique learning conditions,       distant. Despite the fact that we are not gathering together
the strong foundation and philosophy that anchors all that      physically, class and school-wide celebrations have still
we do has allowed for a successful school year in the midst occurred in innovative ways. Room transformations have
of the COVID pandemic.                                          allowed students to identify learning spaces that meet their
                                                                needs while keeping them spaced through the use of yoga
We set out to make it our goal to continue to support the       mats, camp chairs, or self-created drive-in movie theatre
social emotional needs of our students while balancing          cars!
academic expectations, especially following a long period of
remote instruction last spring. We have been successful in
creating a safe and secure environment while balancing the
need for fun! As a result, our students have journeyed
through this school year feeling safe, nurtured, and an
integral part of their learning community.

Our staff began this school year with an intense commitment
to providing a high-quality education for all learners and have
done so successfully.

                                                                  Teachers have found innovative ways to provide real-world
                                                                  learning experiences through the use of virtual field trips
                                                                  and engaging the community in virtual meetings both during
                                                                  the school day and through our Project SUCCEED After
                                                                  School enrichment program. The level of creativity and
                                                                  open-mindedness exhibited by our educators is something
The flexibility required of all                                   we will take with us moving beyond this unique school year
members of our school community                                   and into the future of education at Pine Tree School.
has been tremendous. Our students

                 Page 17 | “Realizing the full potential of each and every student” | www.sau9.org
School Reviews
John Fuller Elementary School
Community and outdoor learning remain at the heart
of all we do at JFS! To kick off Read Across America
Week we had our always successful Community
Reading Day on Monday, March 1st. We welcomed
12 community readers to our school virtually. These
gracious community members shared lots of great
titles and also shared how they use reading in their
professions and daily lives. The students and staff
look forward to this event every year.

JFS students enjoyed 6 weeks of winter fun
activities. JFS staff and students worked in
partnership with Memorial Hospital’s 5-2-1-0
Let’s Go and Winter Kids/Winter Games to get
creative with additional outdoor activities for
January and February. Snowball target practice,
snowshoeing, snow art, snow creations,
fort-building, and more.

As spring is now upon us our cohorts are
looking forward to even more time outside
learning and exploring. From reading and
writing to art and P.E. to science and social
studies the school property and our surrounding
area offers ample opportunities to maximize our
time outside!

             Page 18 | “Realizing the full potential of each and every student” | www.sau9.org
School Reviews
Kennett Middle School                                            Winter Sports
                                                                 Our co-curricular
Since this fall our school and community has worked              programs have been
through a number of transitions. This includes two shifts        another way to
to remote for the whole school and a number of smaller,          develop a larger
cohort quarantines. While each scenario presented                sense of the school
challenges for those involved, the students and staff handled    this year and we
each one in stride with a minimum of disruption to the           were fortunate to be
planned learning in classes. This resilience has allowed us to   able to participate
not only maintain the choice of face-to-face or distance         this winter.
learning but has resulted in new learning opportunities for
students and staff alike as we embraced new ways of
teaching and learning at KMS.

This winter we were able to continue with increased
outdoor learning opportunities and movement. Using
snowshoes, classes were able to continue movement breaks
along the same paths and fields they used in the fall. Science
classes ventured out to learn about our local ecosystems in
winter.

                                                                 Focus on Assessment
                                                                 Professional development this year has been focused on
                                                                 building the capacity of staff around high quality performance
                                                                 assessments. Each content area PLC has used protocols for
                                                                 looking at student performance on assessments to evaluate
                                                                 their complexity and alignment to competencies. The results
                                                                 are also used to inform changes in instructional practices.

Developing a feeling of belonging to the whole school has        Shift to Literacy
been a challenge for us this year as students generally see      This past year our school has shifted the way we approach
only their small cohort of other                                      literacy instruction by using a more integrated model.
kids. Even at the team level, that                                    Where previously Reading and Language Arts were
sense of the group has been                                           taught as separate courses these are now combined
challenged. Fortunately, Barry                                        into a Literacy class for all 7th and 8th grade students.
the Eagle has had some free                                           The Literacy curriculum is aligned with the SAU#9 K-12
time this year and has been able                                      Literacy competencies and utilizes the Lucy Calkins
to help out by visiting around                                        Readers and Writers Workshop resources to provide
the school, spreading school                                          personalized instruction and opportunities for student
spirit!                                                               choice at appropriate challenge levels for each student.

                 Page 19 | “Realizing the full potential of each and every student” | www.sau9.org
School Reviews
MWV Career & Technical Center
Options and Opportunities: The Mount Washington                   In Culinary, the installation
Valley Career & Technical Center (MWVCTC) at Kennett              of an organic indoor farming
High School believes in offering as many options and              system for year-round
opportunities to our students to help work toward a career        growing of fresh and nutri-
or occupation in learning contexts that respond to their          ent dense greens and herbs
learning needs, providing linkages to the workplace and           has increased students’
other post-secondary destinations. Through a range of             understanding of raw food
authentic learning experiences, and an integrated career          production. We are
education approach, students enrolled in any one of our           growing all our own salad
twelve programs are able to make connections with career          greens including Encore
pathways and make more informed decisions about what              Mix, Deers Tongue, Crispino, Red Leaf, Russian Kale as
they want to do after high school.                                students partner together to plant, tend and harvest our
                                                                  garden.
Critical to these beliefs are the six pillars of Career and
Technical Education (CTE) at MWVCTC: Authentic                    Partnering with Eagle Academy once again, we offered an
assessment; Cleary defined career pathways; Concurrent            Introduction to Criminal Justice class this past fall. The class
& Dual Enrollments to earn college credits in high school;        was very successful and positively received by students.
Industry Recognized Credentials (IRCs); Twenty-first              As such, it is our intention to offer one Introduction to
century learning skills and capabilities; and, Work-based         Criminal Justice class for the school year 2021-22.
learning.
                                                                                                             Career & Technical
What’s new at MWVCTC? STEM Aviation & Aerospace                                                              Student Organizations
partnerships with Eastern Slope Aviation Academy (ESSA),                                                     competition season
the FAA and Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association (AOPA)                                                      got under way in
continue to enhance opportunities and options for students                                                   February with the
interested in a myriad of career paths in the aviation                                                       DECA Marketing Club
industry. Recently, our program received designation by the                                                  participating in its
Department of Education as an official Career & Technical                                                    first-ever virtual
Education program, the first of its kind, in the United States.                                              competition with
Additionally, what is now being touted as the “first food         dozens of high schools from around NH. DECA’s role-plays
delivery by drone in NH,” students planned and executed a         and case studies challenge competitors to demonstrate
complicated mission to deliver lunch from Big Dave’s to the       industry-relevant knowledge and skills through performance
                                       back doors of the          indicators while also developing important 21st Century
                                       Career & Technical         Skills – creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and
                                       Center.                    communications. Students won top spots in Retail
                                                                   Merchandising, Hotel & Lodging Series, Personal Finance
                                                                   Literacy and the Quiz Bowl making them eligible for the
                                                                   national competition in April.

                                                                   Educators Rising also competed in February in their first-
                                                                   ever virtual competition. Students submitted projects digi-
                                                                   tally for the 2021 Educators Rising State Competition in the
                                                                   Interactive Bulletin Board Contest and the Children’s Literature
                                                                   K-3 Contest. Our students took top spots in the competition
                                                                   making them eligible for the national competition in June.

                  Page 20 | “Realizing the full potential of each and every student” | www.sau9.org
School Reviews
Kennett High School                                           Student Council, Honor Society, French Honor Society,
                                                              GTSA, and so many more groups have found ways to meet
The 2021 school year has been one like no other at Kennett either virtually or socially distanced to keep students
High School. It has been a year                                                          connected to these organizations.
where we have embraced change
and battled adversity in                                                                 As we head into spring we are
classrooms, in the hallways,                                                             looking forward to planning
with extracurriculars and                                                                another great experience for our
co-curriculars and just about                                                            seniors to celebrate commencement.
every other aspect of our school.                                                        Plans are underway and we are
Yet, in spite of these challenges                                                        excited to once again offer a
and obstacles, we have found a                                                           graduation re-imagined so that
way to overcome, to educate our                                                          our students, families, and
students face-to-face, to offer                                                          community can celebrate the
athletics and our extracurriculars                                                       great achievement of our
and co-curriculars. Things have                                                          students. We are excited about
looked different, but we have                                                            this great opportunity to celebrate
worked together and we have                                                              our students and we look forward
grown together.                                                                          to getting back to the best of the
                                                                                         way things were, and bring
Academically at Kennett High                                                             forward with us the best of what
School we have made adjustments                                                          we have learned this pandemic to
to our schedule so that all                                                              realize a bright future for KHS.
students have 4 classes per
semester, and all teachers teach 4 classes per day with a
common planning time at the end of the day. This subtle
change enabled us to reduce class sizes so that we were
able to meet the recommendations for class sizes and
square footage to keep our students safe and healthy, but
also allowed staff to make strong connections with their
students in these classes. Classes have been taking advantage
more than ever of the great campus at KHS, and classes are
frequently utilizing outside space as an expansion of the
classroom.
                                                                                            Pictured Left: A biology project
                                                                                            where students transfer DNA,
Athletically this year we have had great success, especially                                specifically a bioluminescence gene,
given that we did not have any sports last spring. Through
                                                                                            which causes the bacteria to glow.
careful planning and implementation, we were able to
develop a return to play model for our fall athletics, a model
for our winter athletics, now are working on planning for
our spring programs. Some of the key highlights so far
include state championships in girls field hockey, girls
alpine skiing, and ski jumping. Additionally, KHS finished
as runners-up in girls basketball, losing in a nail biter, girls
nordic skiing, and boys alpine skiing. Our clubs and other
co-curricular organizations have also found ways to
successfully meet. We have had virtual concerts and
productions from our arts department, and Key Club,

                  Page 21 | “Realizing the full potential of each and every student” | www.sau9.org
     School & Event Calendars
         School Board Information & Policies
         Family & Community Info
         Staff Information &
          Professional Development
         Student Registration
         District Contacts
         School Cancellation Information
         COVID-19 Resources

                                                SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS
             SAU9 BOARD                              CHATHAM SCHOOL BOARD                        EATON SCHOOL BOARD
          Nancy Kelemen, Chair                            Susan Perry, Chair                      Christopher Kennedy, Chair
     Dr. Michelle Capozzoli, Vice-Chair                Beverly Aiman, Vice-Chair                  Monique Hebert, Vice-Chair
                                                            Susan Crowley                                Susan Wiley
      ALBANY SCHOOL BOARD
         Timothy Sorgi, Chair                        CONWAY SCHOOL BOARD                    HART’S LOCATION SCHOOL BOARD
           Daniel Bianchino                                  Joe Lentini, Chair                     Helen Brandon, Chair
             VACANT                                  Dr. Michelle Capozzoli, Vice-Chair           Nancy Ritger, Vice-Chair
                                                                Bill Aughton                          William Hoover
     BARTLETT SCHOOL BOARD                                    Courtney Burke
         Nancy Kelemen, Chair                                  Randy Davison                    JACKSON SCHOOL BOARD
        Andrew Light, Vice-Chair                                  Joe Mosca                           Genn Anzaldi, Chair
           Emily Calderwood                                   Jessica Whitelaw                    Jerry Dougherty, Vice-Chair
               Rob Clark                                                                                Majka Burhardt
             Scott Grant                                                                                Darlene Ference
                                                                                                         Kate Fornier

                                                   SCHOOL CONTACTS
SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE UNIT #9                    JACKSON SCHOOL DISTRICT                    A. Crosby Kennett Middle School
176A Main Street | Conway, NH 03818              Jackson Grammar School                     Principal: Rick Biché
SAU #9 Website: www.sau9.org                     Principal: Gayle Dembowski                 Main Office: 447-6364
                                                 Main Office: 383-6861
Superintendent of Schools: Kevin Richard                                                    Conway Elementary School
Assist. Superintendent: Kadie Wilson             CONWAY SCHOOL DISTRICT                     Principal: Jason Robert
Director of Special of Services: Pam Stimpson    Kennett High School                        Main Office: 447-3369
                                                 Principal: Kevin Carpenter      356-4343
Main Office:        603-447-8368                                                            John Fuller Elementary School
                                                 Vice Principal: Katy Meserve 356-4340
Special Services:   603-447-8951                                                            Principal: Danielle Nutting
                                                 Main Office:                    356-4343
Transportation:     603-447-3626                                                            Main Office: 356-5381
                                                 Career & Tech Center:           356-4370
Fax Number:         603-447-8497                     Director: Virginia Schrader            Pine Tree Elementary School
                                                 School Counseling:              356-4325   Principal: Dr. Aimee Frechette
BARTLETT SCHOOL DISTRICT                         Athletic Department:            356-4335   Main Office: 447-2882
Josiah Bartlett Elementary School                Special Education:              356-4315
Principal: Joe Yahna
Main Office: 374-2331

                      Page 22 | “Realizing the full potential of each and every student” | www.sau9.org
You can also read